Reading & Leeds Join Festivals Set For Drug Testing Tents

The twin festival will be among several music events encouraging punters to test their drugs this year.

Reading & Leeds have joined several music festivals in introducing drug-testing tents this year.

Following a trial at Secret Garden Party in 2016, the twin festival among others will roll out the initiative, which sees revellers able to test the content of their drugs before throwing them away without fear of recrimination.

As The Independent reports, Live Nation's Melvin Benn told Press Association that the scheme would be introduced at "between six and 10 festivals this year".

Fiona Measham, founder of The Loop - the organisation that runs the drug testing - said: "It’s really exciting that police are prioritising health and safety over criminal justice at festivals."

Benn, who also organises Latitude, V festival, Wireless and a host of other events, said: “We talked about it during the summer of last year and the reality is that I took a decision that unless and until the NPCC (National Police Chiefs Council) supported the principle of it, it was difficult for us to move forward on it.”

This year's Reading & Leeds festival will be headlined by Kasabian, Muse and Eminem.

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